Overview
- The case involves an older adult from Grays Harbor County who is hospitalized and has underlying health conditions.
- State officials say this is the first known human infection with H5N5 and the first U.S. human avian-flu case reported in nine months.
- Investigators suspect exposure from backyard poultry that had contact with wild birds, though the source has not been conclusively determined.
- CDC reports no evidence of human-to-human transmission, is awaiting Washington samples for further analysis, and state health teams are monitoring and offering testing to close contacts.
- Roughly 70 U.S. human avian-flu infections have been tallied since 2022, mostly mild and linked to animal work, and experts urge precautions such as PPE, thorough disinfection, avoiding sick or dead wild birds, and staying current on seasonal flu vaccination.